The present invention relates to the field of jewelry and more specifically to a new clasp which in one preferred embodiment finds utility for use with jewelry.
The clasp of the present invention comprises three principle components: a casing; an insert and a pin. The casing is at least partially hollow and includes an opening through its outer surface and leading to a recess within the casing. A loop to be restrained within the clasp passes through the opening and resides within the recess. The clasp is formed with the insert inside the hollow of the casing.
The insert is movable within the casing between a first stop position and a second stop position. These two stops are delimited by two holes at one end (the trailing end) of the insert. These two holes are connected by a channel through which the pin can pass.
The pin is fixed in position. Each of the two ends of the pin is fixed to the inside of two opposing lateral walls within the hollow of the casing. The pin thus runs through the hollow, perpendicular to the direction in which the insert is movable between the first and second stops. The casing, insert and pin are assembled such that the pin passes through the insert anywhere between the first and second holes.
In operation, the insert is brought into one of its two stop positions, referred to herein as the open position. A loop is allowed to pass through the opening and into the recess within the casing. The insert can then be moved into its second position, the closed position. In this position the insert passes through the opening in the casing thereby blocking the opening so as to prevent the loop from slipping out of the clasp.